Anyone else's LO wanting to wake up super early and play?

flipflops01

Our LO has never ever been a good sleeper.  If we get a small reprieve and he sleeps through the night, it usually lasts for a week or two and then something disrupts it.  After battling an icky cold and ear infection for several weeks which was rough for everyone:), he is now finally starting to sleep again (hooray!!) but wakes up starting around 4 am constantly coming into our room to play.  He brings in books, all of his stuffed animals, finds our Ipads next to the bed, and just wants to start the day.   We usually put him back to bed multiple times until we bring him downstairs around 6:30-7.  We have tried no talking-straight to bed, we have tried shifting his bedtime a bit, being firm, etc etc.  Nothing seems to work with him!  There is nothing waking him up (ie cars, etc) that I know of.   

Anyone else have this and what do you do? How do you let them know that it is not time to wake up yet?   

flipflops01

Also does anyone else use an alarm clock like a Gro Clock, and if so, have you found them helpful?  I am reading about them online and am intrigued by the idea. 

JamiesWife2010

Sorry, that sounds like it sucks!

We have a baby gate in DS's doorway. He wakes up & "reads" books & plays with quiet toys until we come to get him.

I don't have experience with the clocks but they look like an idea.

authorofdreamz

Can you make it so he can't get out of his room on his own? DD will occasionally wake up early but she will just read books in her bed and then usually fall back asleep or just play until we go to get her since she can't get out of her room. 

Natty13umppo

I don't have this problem right now, but I think I would agree that I would try to keep him in his room -- baby gate, something on the door handle, etc...  Maybe if he realizes he can't leave the room and play, he'll be more inclined to go back to sleep?  (Or at least maybe you'll get some more sleep!)

Also, you could always play with bedtimes to see how that works with getting him to sleep longer?  I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but days DD gets to sleep later than usual, she usually wakes up earlier than usual.  Or you could just have an early bird on your hands!  (But 4am seems ridiculously early....sorry!)